This invention has to do with the arrangement and method of the cutting and fastening of roofing materials, usually asphalt and/or fiberglass shingles, to the upwardly facing sides of buildings, usually residential buildings and homes. An efficient arrangement of shingles on a roof of a building requires that the shingles be cut in different standard lengths, long to short, so that the different lengths may be placed in complimentary end to end relationships with one another. The longest standard length (39 inches) is placed along the eave of the rake edge. A next and shorter shingle (32½ inches) is placed above and in an overlapping position (5⅝ inches) to the first shingle. The third and even shorter shingle (26 inches) is placed above and in an overlapping position to the second shingle. Successively shorter shingles are used in the above described manner going up the roof along the rake edge to the shortest length of 6½ inches. Usually after reaching the shortest shingle going up the roof the placement of shingles starts again on the eave edge and full length 39 inch shingles are placed in end to end abutment with the already placed shingles going up the roof. The first row of shingles is typically placed or located along a lowermost horizontal edge of the roof. The next row of shingles is started from the same edge as the first and placed vertically above the first row so that its lowermost portion overlaps an uppermost portion of the first or lowermost row. The first shingle in the row above the lower row will be a successively shorter shingle length so that the abutment lines of the end to end shingles in the lower row are covered to the extent that the shingle rows overlap vertically. Going toward the other rake edge full length shingles will be abutted to the starting rake edge shingles as they extend toward the other rake edge. Complimentary shorter shingles may be used to mate each row with the other rake edge or specially cut shingles as required. Traditionally each shingle used in the above operation is cut one at a time using a framing square, a tape measure, and a utility knife. Normal size for roofing shingles sold in large and heavy bundles is thirty nine inches in length and 13 and ¼ in width. The first shingle can start from either of the gabled ends and is not cut so as to retain its full length of 39 inches as it is placed in the lowermost corner next to the gable end. The second shingle in the row then is cut 6½ inches shorter than the first for a second standard length of 32½ inches. The third standard size shingle is then cut 6½ inches shorter than the second standard length for a length of 26 inches.
The fourth standard size shingle is then cut 6½ inches from the third standard size so as to be 19½ inches long. Each successive standard shingle will be smaller by 6½ inches from the previous one.
The first shingle in a row will be placed with its cut end aligned with the gable end and vertically overlapping the previous shingle so that so that 5 to 5⅝ inches of the first shingle is exposed vertically and 6 to 6½ inches is exposed lengthwise.
Once the operation reaches the peak the next vertical column is started and the first uncut shingle has its end abutted with the outermost end of the previous first shingle. The same procedure is followed again abutting eac successive shingle with its vertical counterpart.
The same sequence is continued until the roof is covered gable to gable at which time one to the peak at which time the ridge is capped.